Guard-rail.



PATENT-ED OCT. 16, 1906..

] w. H. GUPPY.

GUARD RAIL APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 2a. 1906.

k A ww M d Jfi I in h witnesses wwa 'certain new and useful Improvements in WILLIAM H. GUPPY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GUARD-BAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed June 23,1906. Serial No. 323,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, ,have invented Guard -Rails, of which the specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described. relates to guard-rails for railroads, and more particularly to such rails as are employed at railroad switches, crossings, and the like.

As is well known, such guard-rails are placed at desired points in the rail system parallel to the main rail to receive between it and the main rail the flange of the passing wheels, to thereby prevent any lateral or side movement of the truck. In order that such guard-rail shall roperly perform its function, it is desirable hat it be placed sufficiently close to the main rail that the flange of the passing wheel, by contacting with the guardrail, shall prevent the tread-surface of the wheel from leaving the main rail. Likewise, to insure the proper passa e of the flange be- 1 tween the main and guar rails as the wheel approaches the guarded point the ends of the1 guard-rail are bent away from the main rai Guard-rails as now commonly constructed are formed from the ordinary standard rail, the ends being bent as described, and in order to secure its desired close relation to the main rail, the flange of the guard-rail opposite that towardwhich the ends arebent is planed or cut off to the desired extent. This is not only an expensive structural formation but weak ens the rail at the parts most subjected to strain and forms a line of weakness at the union of the bends with the main body of the rail by such removal of material.

With these general considerations in view the object of the present invention is to provide a guard-rail which shall be not only economical in construction, but wherein the desired strength shall be maintained and lines of weakness avoided.

The invention consists of the structure to and then definitely following is a be hereinafter described pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a main and guard rail secured to the ties on which they rest. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the guard-rail, showing the rolled flange at one GUPPY, a l

side thereof of less width than the flange on the other side and with the metal of th flange rolled or drawn toward the bent ends of the rail. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the main and guard rails on line in :20, Fig. 1, showing the wheel-flange between the two; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the end of the guard-rail, showing in a somewhat distorted way the metal rolled or drawn toward that point.

' In the drawings, A represents the main rail of the usual track system, said rail being secured to the ties B by the usual spikes a. Disposed adjacent to the main rail A is the ard-rail D, which is preferably formed from the usual or standard rail, such as that represented by A, as will hereinafter appear.

In order that the guard-rail D may be ii ted sufficiently close to the main rail A, it is necessary that one of its flanges be reduced in width, such reduction heretofore being secured by cutting or planing off this flange to the desired extent. This planing or cutting ofl of the flange of the guard-rail is not only an expensive and laborious operation, but it weakens the rail, especially near the points where the ends of the rail are bent, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the present invention the flange d of the guard-rail, which is to be next to the main rail, is reduced in width by rollin said flange and drawing the metal of said ange toward the bent ends (1 of the guard-rail. This-drawing of the metal to ward the ends of the guard rail maintains the full strength of the rail at the bent portions and supplies the metal at these points, which is necessary at the exterior contour of the curve or at the points d.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that the flange d of the guard-rail D is of the usual or standard width and that the flange d is of reduced width, the surplus metal inthe flange (i being drawn toward the end of said flange at d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4E.

The structural formation of the guard-rail by drawing the metal toward the ends thereof where the guard-rail is bent prevents lines of weakness at the bent contour near the ends, and economy of production results.

As is well understood, the guard-rail and main rail receive between them the flange C,

Fig. 3, of the passing wheel, and the ends of bent, as shown,

the guard-rail are so as to receive and direct the flange O of the wheel into its proper relation With the main and guard rail. Obviously if the flange C strikes the guard-rail near the bent end portion suflicient 5 strength must be present to resist the blow, and this is furnished by the surplus metal of the flange (i being drawn described.

The guard-rail is secured in means of the spikes or bolts 6, w nected with the usual ties B.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 15 ent, is

1. A guard-rail having one of its flanges position by hioh are con- WILLIAM H. GUPPY.

Witnesses:

JOHN THIEL, A. KING DIGKSON. 

